About

The Breach

$44,039

pledged of $40,000 goal

251

backers

Hi! My name’s Mark Titus. I’m the director of The Breach. We have only a couple short days left to raise our goal or we lose all the generous pledges we've received so far. So firstly, thankyou for taking the time to watch our preview trailer above and thank you for considering a pledge to support this film.

Secondly, very special thanks to Moby for use of his song: "A Seated Night" - and extra special thanks to Korby Sears for his compositions - and to Pat Goodwin and Rowdy Gleason of Equilitree for their scoring.

Now you can be a co-creator in this film by backing us with your pledge!

If you’re ready to back us, just click the green button at the top right corner of this page and go to town - we have a couple days left to reach our goal! We are deeply grateful for your support at whatever level you can pledge. (Every single dollar will help get this film produced!)

If you’d like to learn more about The Breach, and how to help make this film - read on, below...and be sure to check out the great images of the rewards at the bottom of the page…

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

I was on a plane, heading to a commercial shoot just over a year ago when I ran across a passage in a book I was reading about wild salmon. It described the construction of a dam in 1913 on the Elwha River in Washington State, that effectively wiped out a race of giant King Salmon. 100+ pounders. Fish so big, the Lower Elwha Klallam People would think twice before entering the river for fear of getting smashed between them. After the dam was built, the salmon were permanently blocked from their spawning grounds high in the Olympic Mountains. Despite this, these giants would come back to the base of the dam, year after year, slamming their bodies into the concrete, trying to get upriver. It brought to mind the indelible battle cry in Shakespeare’s Henry V: “Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more…”…And the light switch clicked: “Those dams are scheduled to be breached in September (2011) - and I know a man, Russ Busch, the father of a dear friend who spent 40 years working to get those dams removed - who’s sick with cancer but may just get to see his life’s work realized by seeing those dams breached in the autumn. I have to start filming. Right now.”

And that’s just what happened. I filmed my first interview with Russ a week later. And as these things happen, the story grew – all on its own. Certainly Russ and the removal of those dams on the Elwha remain at the center of hope for wild salmon recovery. But as I looked into it further, doors started swinging open of their own accord and I realized there are other potent stories of hope – as well as several stories of potential disaster to wild salmon runs if nothing is done about them. I realized the film was not only about the breaching of those dams, but of a much larger breach of contract between human beings and nature - specifically wild salmon – and if we want to have a shot at repairing things to sustain future generations – we'd better pay attention - right now. So, onward“…Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more…”

WHO WE ARE

I'm a writer + director from Seattle. You can read more about my work in the About section below.

I have the distinct privilege of working with my friend and partner in this film - producer, Susan LaSalle. Susan holds a degree in documentary filmmaking and worked on the Academy Award winning documentary, "DEADLY DECEPTION: General Electric, Nuclear Weapons and Your Environment."

In addition to Susan and myself, we’ve had a tremendous, generous team of cinematographers, editors, graphic artists, social media gurus, composers, interns, chefs, family, friends and salmon lovers of all shapes and sizes work for the love of the project over the last year. That means for free. We all share a passion for wild salmon and for filmmaking and are dedicated to seeing this film get made – no matter what.

WHERE WE’RE AT

Everything to this point has been self-funded. We’ve spent the last year shooting the preliminary interviews you saw in the preview above to shape the tone of the story. I wrote the full-scale proposal for the film this winter. We have the storyline, post-production plan, desired interviews and locations all mapped out and ready to go. We just need you!

SOME QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE

What is Kickstarter anyway? Kickstarter is a dynamic way to fund creative ideas and ambitious endeavors. Kickstarter is powered by a unique all-or-nothing funding method where projects must be fully funded or no money changes hands. In other words, if we don’t raise our goal of $40,000, we lose everything. And, incidentally, our goal of $40,000 is the bare minimum we need to get our boots on the ground filming in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.

Where does my money go? Glad you asked. Whatever we raise here on Kickstarter will be used for:

* Travel expenses. It is costly to get a small crew from Seattle into the backcountry of Bristol Bay and Southeast Alaska. It involves multiple commercial jet flights as well as hiring floatplanes to get us into remote areas that will give us the unparalleled access we need to the salmon and the story. Not to mention road trips across the Pacific Northwest.

* Gear. Our goal is to shoot the most exquisite film about salmon we can possibly muster. This means we need to get underwater footage and aerial footage – which means we need special tools, housings and mounts to get our cameras where they need to be.

* Hard Drives. We will be shooting a LOT of great footage - and therefore requiring a lot of space to store it.

How do I pledge? It’s easy. Just click the green “Back This Project” button in the upper right-hand corner or on the little weird green things in each pledge box. You will be asked to input your pledge amount and select a reward. From there, you will go through the Amazon checkout process. You must finish the Amazon checkout process for your pledge to be recorded. It is truly painless. I’ve done it supporting other friends’ films.

What if we don’t reach our goal? If funding fails, all pledges are canceled and that's that. Your card is not charged, it’s like nothing ever happened. We hope this doesn’t happen! These last couple days will fly by, so please donate today!

Can we exceed our goal? Most definitely - and we sure hope to! Our goal of $40,000 is, as I said, literally the bare minimum of what we need to get the cameras rolling for principle photography! Exceeding our goal will start to pay for post-production immediately and move us toward our objective of film festival entry in early 2013.

What about those cool Rewards?They are cool, thank you. You will see in each of the reward boxes to the right, some will be fulfilled and sent to you pretty quickly - and some, next year. The reason for this? For one, we need to finish the film in order to have you attend a screening. And for another, if you want to buck up for the amazing fishing trip I will be guiding you on next summer at Yes Bay Lodge in Alaska - and the amazing dinner served by Ethan Stowell - you'll have to wait until then because I'll be a little busy, filming, this summer.

Can I donate outside the United States? Yes! Just click on the Amazon Payment Button and you will see that you can pay with a credit card from any country! But you must finish the Amazon checkout process for your pledge to be recorded. If you have any problems just contact Susan or me and we will gladly walk you through it.

INTERESTED IN PLAYING AN EVEN LARGER ROLE ON THE FILM? There are full Executive Producer credits available at the $50,000 level. These larger donations are tax deductible through our 501(c)(3) Fiscal Sponsor, Northwest Film Forum - Seattle's premier film arts organization, screening over 200 independently made and classic films annually, offering a year-round schedule of filmmaking classes for all ages, and supporting filmmakers at all stages of their careers. Please contact Susan or me directly with queries about participating at this level.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $5,000 or more
About $5,000

In addition to above, you will receive a catered day of salmon fishing for you and a guest in the San Juan Islands with USCG licensed guide, director, Mark Titus + Associate Producer credit for the film.
(does not include transportation to and from Anacortes, WA - contact Mark directly for dates and details connect@thebreachfilm.com)

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $10,000
About $10,000

All of the above (except for the $5000 Tyee Level) + Associate Producer Credit + a once-in-a-lifetime Alaskan wilderness fishing adventure for 2 at Yes Bay Lodge - guided by The Breach director, Mark Titus + 2 seats at an exclusive dinner with director, Mark Titus and Producer, Susan LaSalle – served by Seattle star chef, Ethan Stowell before a Private Screening of The Breach. (Contact Mark directly for dates and details about the trip to Alaska - connect@thebreachfilm.com - Covers all world-class meals, 4 nights lodging and 3 full days of guided fishing. Does not include airfare from Seattle to Ketchikan, fishing license or alcohol)